Affirming Life
by Kellie Fay
Summary: There are some things in your life that change your whole perspective on things.  Raphael is about to be introduced to one of those things.


Affirming Life

There are some things in your life that change your whole perspective on things. Raphael is about to be introduced to one of those things.

Special thanks to Whitbourne a 3rd year med student who helped me with some of the medical aspects, and my other editors.

The turtles do not belong to me. I just borrow them from time to time. It is not my fault that I have creativity demons that keep tormenting me!

> > > > > > > > > > > > > >

"Come on Leo! I'm getting bored here!"

It started out as an ordinary enough day. Raphael and Leonardo were sparing in the lair. Michelangelo was spread out over the couch watching Oprah, and Donatello was at his desk fixing Michelangelo's hoverboard.

Leonardo tried to strike overhead, but Raphael managed to parry, and force the blades back towards his brother. "Oh so you're bored?" Leonardo teased? "Maybe we should be going faster then!"

Raphael loved this. He loved feeling the rush of adrenalin in his blood, and the sound of metal against metal. "Bring it on bro!" He shouted back eagerly.

Raphael should have been completely focused on Leonardo, but suddenly he heard from the television a news reporter say one word.

"Santino"

"Santino?" Raphael echoed, turning his head toward the sound. He ducked under Leonardo's next blow, and crouched down to kick his brother's legs out from under him. "Hang on Leo! Time out!"

Curling into a ball Leonardo came back up on his feet. He was about to go into ready position again when he noticed that Raphael had lost all interest in him, and had moved over to behind the couch. The credits to Oprah were scrolling across the screen. Michelangelo, oblivious to Raphael, began to pick up the remote.

"Don't you dare change that channel, Michelangelo!" Raphael's voice was vicious and deadly serious. Michelangelo froze for a second then dropped the remote as if it had burned him. "Um okay" Michelangelo said meekly.

"Shhh!" Raphael snapped back.

Concerned Leonardo came closer, and asked. "What is it, Raph?" But Raphael just waved him to be quiet.

As the news music began a voice over said sadly, "Lieutenant Anthony Santino died today of gunshot wounds he received three days ago in a shoot out in Soho with the notorious Purple Dragon gang..."

Raphael didn't wait for the details. "Awww shell!" He exploded, punching a nearby wall so hard he dented it. "I gotta find Casey before he goes ballistic!" Without another word to his brothers, Raphael ran for the elevator leading to the warehouse over the lair."

"What was that all about?" Donatello asked as he joined the others by the couch.

Michelangelo sighed. "I think I know," he said, clicking off the TV. "That was the twelfth Precinct. In Casey's old neighborhood. I think he knows a lot of the cops down there."

Donatello nodded understanding. "If that cop was a friend of Casey's."

Leonardo speculated too. "Raph knew the name instantly." He made his decision quickly. "We'd better go check on both of them."

They found both Raphael and Casey in an alley near to Casey's apartment. Casey was trying to beat the living tar out of Raphael, but he was so angry he really wasn't connecting. Raphael was easily blocking the blows.

Casey was wearing down but he was still angry. Without saying a single word Leonardo and Michelangelo held Casey's left arm, while Raphael and Donatello held his right. Together the four managed to force Casey to his knees and held him down. Casey struggled a bit more, but finally he gave in to his exhaustion. Now that he was still the others could see the tears streaming out of his eyes.

"Easy Case," Raphael said in a calming voice. "We're with you on this one buddy. We will find the scum bags who did this, but right now you gotta think about Marie!"

"Who's Marie?" Leonardo asked.

"Tony's wife," Casey said, in a flat emotionless voice. "They just got married last year, and she's pregnant with their first kid." The tears started again. "Those blasted Purple Dragons!" Casey managed to choke out. He would have gotten up to fight again but Raphael and the others held him down!

"Casey! You are not doing Marie or your knuckles any good pounding on the walls out here!" Raphael insisted. "You gotta think about her now! She doesn't need you falling apart out here! I promise you we'll find the guys who did this, and if you can't take the evidence to the cops we'll take care of them, but you got to pull yourself together for Tony's wife now!"

Leonardo made a slight face. He didn't like Raphael promising vigilante justice to Casey, but then again, if they couldn't find the evidence to convict a cop shooter. Leonardo sighed and filed the information away. He would ask Master Splinter about the ethics of this later. Right now he knew that not only Raphael, but Casey's blood was also screaming for vengeance.

"Arnold?" A low grating but definitely female voice came from around a corner. Instantly Leonardo knew the owner of that voice.

"That's Casey's mom," He said worriedly. He signaled to the others to hide.

Raphael was the last to leave. He looked at his friend worriedly. "Case?"

"I'll be okay," Casey said in a voice that told all of them he was anything but. "Go on,"

Reluctantly Raphael left Casey, and followed his brother up to the roof. From below they saw Casey's mother come out from behind a corner. She was already dressed in a black pant suit. "Arnold? What are you doing out here without a coat on? You'll catch your death of cold!"

Casey was winded, and even though he was still visibly angry kept his cool around his mother. "I was just blowing off steam ma," he said sadly. "I'm just so pissed that those Purple Dragon scum-"

"You need to stop thinking about yourself Arnold, and start thinking about Marie!" His mother scolded him gently. "You're still gonna be that baby's godfather. Marie needs you to support her now."

Casey sighed. "I know, ma. I know."

From above Michelangelo whispered to the others. "Didn't we just tell him that?"

Raphael growled at him, but said nothing else.

"Come on guys," Leonardo said. "We can't do any more good here."

Raphael still looked unsettled. "Uh, you guys go on ahead. I wanna keep an eye on Casey, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

Leonardo gave Raphael a hard look. "Just don't do anything stupid yourself," he warned

Raphael nodded to him absently then repositioned himself on another roof watching the apartment with all the police cars in front of it.

And that's how it began.

For the next week Raphael only came into the lair to sleep and train. Michelangelo swore that Raphael wasn't even eating in the lair. Leonardo and the others were worried enough to start following him, but they found that Raphael was just watching Casey's house, or the apartment building where the police officer had lived. The nights of the wake Raphael kept vigil on a nearby roof top. That was the night Leonardo decided to watch with him.

He came up behind Raphael silently. He could tell Raphael wasn't in the best of tempers, but Leonardo knew it was his job to snap Raphael out of his dark mood before he cracked under the pressure.

"Mind some company?" He asked softly

Raphael hadn't noticed Leonardo's approach. He whirled around with his sais drawn, and only relaxed when he saw that it was Leonardo, and that he was alone. "Leo?"

"Sloppy," Leonardo chided gently, trying to keep the conversation commonplace. "You should have heard me coming."

Raphael turned away from Leonardo, and went back to watching the funeral home.

Leonardo didn't take offense at Raphael's attitude. Even though Raphael never knew this cop he had watched him from time to time if he knew that the human was going to do something very dangerous. Casey must have talked about this particular cop a lot. Raphael didn't usually like police, but since the shooting all he had was praise for this one.

Leonardo came up next to his brother, and looked down at all the police cars below. "You have to be more careful if you're going to be up here. One of those cops might actually spot you."

Raphael grunted something under his breath. Leonardo decided that since Raphael wasn't trying to kill him that he was doing pretty good. "How is Casey?" Leonardo asked.

"Not happy," Raphael said. His voice was deceptively calm, but very, very tired. "He wants to go find the creeps who killed his friend, but I'm not stupid. A guy who will shoot a cop won't think twice about shooting anyone else."

"I'm glad you're thinking," Leonardo said taking a sigh of relief. "I'd hate to have to watch Donny take a bullet out of you." His eyes turned back down to the scene below. They could see Casey exiting the funeral parlor. April and his mom was with him, and a third woman who was very pregnant.

"Is that Marie?" Leonardo asked leaning over the edge of the roof.

"Yeah that's her. All eight months of her." Raphael's voice was flat again. A sure sign he was still unhappy. "It's not damn fair Leo! They had everything to look forward to, and some idiot with a gun kills him! I...I used to keep an eye on him for Casey. Leo they don't find cops like him just anywhere."

"I know Raph," Leonardo said, as he put his arm around his brother, "But there isn't anything we can do."

"I'm doing something about this one, Leo!" Raphael said angrily. "I don't know how or when, but I AM doing something about this one!"

Despite Leonardo's insistence that they weren't going to be able to do anything about the police shooting, Raphael went out with Casey every night looking for some evidence. Michelangelo often went with them, and sometimes Donatello, but Leonardo was trying to stay out of it. He didn't want to condone what Raphael was trying to do, but at the same time he wanted to help. He couldn't shake the feeling that if Raphael and Casey kept investigating this shooting on their own they were going to run into serious trouble. Leonardo wanted to be the back up.

Trouble came two weeks after the funeral. Leonardo was going through his katas when his shell cell began to ring. With an exasperated sigh that he had been disturbed, Leonardo answered it.

"Leo here,"

"Leo?" Donatello's voice was high pitched. A sign he was slightly panicked. "Leo can you like meet us at Casey's as soon as possible? We've got a problem."

"Can you tell me what the problem is?" Leonardo asked as he began to walk to the elevator.

"Not right now Leo!" Donatello said hurriedly. "We're still in the middle of OW!" Donatello cried out in pain forcing Leonardo to move the Shell Cell away from his ear. "Just meet us at Casey's!" Donatello said, then he broke the connection.

Twenty minutes later Leonardo was outside of Casey's apartment, overlooking the roof. From the west he saw a quartet of shadows limping their way over to him. Without waiting for them, he moved forward, and put his shoulder under Casey's arm. "What happened to you guys!"

"We'll tell you inside," Donatello said sharply. Normally very even tempered Donatello's tone took Leonardo by surprised until he saw Donatello's head band around his wrist and not his eyes. Donatello was hurt as well. Questions would just have to wait.

Inside Leonardo noticed that Casey had a five inch laceration along his forearm. Blood was seeping slowly from the wound. "What the shell happened?" Leonardo asked once Casey was seated on a folding chair in the living room.

"Leo, boil some water and clean out Casey's wound thoroughly," Donatello ordered instead. To Michelangelo he said. "Go find the peroxide, neosporin and any gauze you can find in his bathroom. We have to clean and disinfect that wound."

"I'm...I'm okay!" Casey insisted then yelped as the hot water hit the open wound."

"Casey! You're not okay! That guy tried to kill us!" Raphael insisted.

That got Leonardo back on the subject. "Who tried to kill you?"

"The guy who killed Tony Santino," Donatello said as he unwrapped his hand, and began inspecting his wrist. "And here's the twist. It wasn't one of the Purple Dragons. It was another cop!"

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Leonardo said, completely in shock.

Raphael took up the tale. "My guess is he's been on the take with The Dragons for some time now. I told you Tony was a good cop, an honest one. He must have figured out what was going on, and was gonna turn this guy in. This guy wants to frame one of The Dragons for the hit so the heat will stay off him, and he'll look like a hero for bringing the guy in."

"Needless to say Dragon Face wasn't thrilled with the idea of framing one of his own." Donatello continued. "We were all on the roof listening to them arguing about it."

"Man," Leonardo said. He began to get up and pace the room thinking. "What a thing to know, and we can't prove it! Even if Dragon Face testifies against him No one will believe him over a cop!"

"Au contraire brother mine!" Michelangelo said dropping the first aid supplies in front of Casey. He moved over to Donatello's goodie bag and pulled out a miniature camcorder. "Donnie had his video camera so we taped the whole thing!" He ejected the tape and juggled it with an evil grin.

"When the DA sees that this guy is gonna wish me an Casey got our hands on him first!" Raphael said with a grin. He then winced as Michelangelo took a look at the long deep furrow engraved into his shell.

"Man, Raph! You're lucky that bullet just winged you two! I'm not sure our shells were made to stop bullets!"

"You mean you were shot at?" Leonardo's worry increased.

"He took a couple of shots at Donnie when they saw us," Raphael explained, wincing as Michelangelo cleaned his wound. "Casey and I put Don under us, and that's how we got nicked."

Leonardo sighed. "As long as Casey can get that tape to the DA I'll be satisfied that you came back alive. Like you said before Raph, if this guy can not only shoot cops but one of his own, we won't scare him."

"Lucky for us the guy didn't see Casey," Raphael said. "Didn't even see the hockey mask. He just saw us, and Dragon Face already knows about us, but that means Casey can't take the tape in. They'll ask him to testify, and this cop could have him killed."

"You're right," Leonardo said. "So how do we get the tape to the DA?"

Raphael gave a mischievous grin. "I think I might have found a solution while Casey and I have been searching for this guy. You're not going to believe it but we've been hearing about a–" Raphael broke off, and turned his head to the door. He had just heard footsteps.

Leonardo had heard them too. He also heard a key going into the lock on Casey's door. It could be April, but it also could be someone else.

Casey, still in pain looked worried. "Guys hide! It could be Marie! My mom gave her a key to here last week!"

Unfortunately Casey's apartment was sparse, and there weren't many hiding places to choose from. The bolt unlocked itself, and the doorknob began to turn.

Donatello solved the problem of time, and lack of hiding spaces by reaching out with his bo staff, and striking the light switch off. At that moment the door opened, and Marie Santino sauntered into the room. She was dressed in a pink and lavender Maternity top with light lavender draw string silk slacks. In her hands she carried two grocery bags with tomatoes, and Italian bread peaking out of the top.

"Casey?" Marie said peering into the room. She put down the bags, and with the door still open giving her some light, she dialed her cell phone. "Hello April? I don't' think Casey is here, so we'll be able to surprise him. No, red wine, I think. You'll be here at eight? Great!" She put the cell phone back into her purse, picked up the bags, and began to reach for the light switch.

Leonardo knew that Casey couldn't sense what Marie was doing. They could. In his gentlest voice Leonardo said. "Please Marie don't be frightened, but please don't turn the lights on."

"What?" Marie said warily into the darkness. "Whose there! Where's Casey!"

"I'm here, Marie," Casey said his voice strained with pain. "I got some friends over here too, but they're a little shy about the way they look."

Marie mulled this over, but Casey's voice alarmed her. "Casey? What's wrong with you. What happened?" She took a few steps towards him, but then Raphael called out.

"Don't take another step Marie! My brother left a whole bunch of suff in the middle of the floor, and I don't want you to trip and fall!"

"Well that was stupid of him!" Marie said crossly. "Can I at least turn the lights on if you don't want me falling into things?"

Leonardo sighed. "Okay, but remember we don't look the way you expect us too. We'll turn on the lights, but please please Marie don't scream!" He signaled Michelangelo to move closer to Marie and for Donatello to turn on the lights.

Marie put her hands on her hips annoyed as the lights flipped on. "Of course I'm not going to scream, why would you think I would AAAAHHHHHHHHH!

Michelangelo moved over in lightning speed, and clamped his hand down on Marie's mouth. "Girl! I thought you promised you wouldn't scream!"

Now that he was actually touching her she was truly frightened. She began to struggle in Michelangelo's arms.

"Mikey don't hurt her! She's in a delicate condition!" Donatello said worriedly.

"Well somebody - ow! should tell her that!" Michelangelo complained.

It was Casey who had to come to Michelangelo's rescue. Getting up from his chair he put his hand between Michelangelo's and Marie's mouth. "Marie, Marie! MARIE! It's okay! These are my friends!"

Marie looked around wildly for a second. "Are you serious?"

"Sure I'm serious!" Casey said confidently. "That's Leo, Donnie's the one with the sprained wrist. Mikey's over there - MIKEY PUT MY BATS DOWN NOW! Juggling, and this is my buddy Raph!"

Marie took in a deep breath, and finally said, "I think I need to sit down." Michelangelo scooted off to the kitchen to get her a glass of water. As she calmed down she looked at Casey, and said, "Arnold Casey Jones you are one of the weirdest people my husband has ever introduced me too."

As he gave her the water Michelangelo quipped up, "heck we could have told you that."

"So what are you guys anyway, and what are you doing here?"

"Which one first?" Raphael asked. "Either way it's a long story."

"Healing first!" Donatello insisted. Leo, can you finish up with Casey? I'm afraid until we can get to my stash of dental acrylic we can only bandage Raph's scratch. Fortunately he didn't expose anything under his shell, the bullet just tore through the scutes on top.

"How did you guys get like this?" Marie asked.

"Mikey why don't you help Marie into the kitchen with that stuff, and fill her in on who we are and what we've been doing," Leonardo said.

As cheerful as ever Michelangelo picked up the grocery bags. "Sure thing fearless leader!" To Marie he asked, "So what were you planning to make for dinner, and do you have enough for four extra house guests!"

"Are you sure that putting Mikey in the kitchen with food was a good idea?" Donatello asked as he supervised Leonardo's patch up on Casey.

"He's calming enough that Marie will lose her fear of us," Leonardo said. "He's also annoying enough for her to forget how strange we are all together, and whap him on the back of the head if he's bothering her." Leonardo said. He helped Casey to get up, but Casey sank right back down again.

"Woah, make the room stop spinning Leo!" He complained.

"You need some rest," Donatello said. Together Raphael and Leonardo helped Casey to his bedroom, and closed the door.

"We might not even be able to wake him for dinner," Leonardo muttered.

"Good, more for us," Raphael said with a grin.

The three eased their way into the kitchen where Michelangelo was answering all of Marie's questions as he began the preparations for dinner. "So we basically keep Casey out of trouble."

"Well that didn't work tonight," Marie said. "What were you doing that Casey got scratched like that?"

Uneasily Raphael answered her. "Um we kinda got shot at."

"Yeah," Michelangelo agreed. "But we also got shots, of the guy who confessed to killing your husband."

Suddenly her eyes widened. "You know who killed Tony?"

"It's all right here!" Michelangelo brandished the tape. "We saw him arguing with one of The Purple Dragons."

"Yeah, about that," Raphael looked at Marie carefully while Leonardo rewrapped Donatello's wrist. "Did Tony ever talk to you about knowing about some cops on the take?"

Marie's eyes widened. "Are you saying a COP shot Tony?" She sat down on a stool, and closed her eyes in pain.

Raphael winced as he realized what he had done. "Aww shell," he muttered. "Marie... Marie I'm sorry, we shouldn't be telling you this stuff. We'll take care of it."

"No, that's not it." Marie breathed out heavily. "I just been having some stomach cramps today."

Donatello's head came up instantly. "Uh Marie? How far apart are those stomach cramps?"

Marie gave Donatello an odd look. "What do you mean."

Donatello looked very uncomfortable but plowed ahead with the question. "When exactly are you due Marie? Raph said you were eight months pregnant, and that was two weeks ago."

Marie smiled, and gave a little self conscious laugh. "Oh I've been in false labor on and off for about a week now. Don't worry I have another week before Uhhhn!"

"Gee did a week go by in the last three minutes?" Michelangelo asked.

"I'll get Casey!" Leonardo said, and escaped out of the kitchen.

Donatello pulled his watch out of one of the pockets on his belt, and tossed it to Michelangelo. "Mikey start timing her contractions. The closer they are together and the worse they are, the bigger a problem we're going to have."

Leonardo was pushing a still woozy Casey into the room. "Marie may be going into labor!" Leonardo told him.

"Please don't panic," Marie said trying not to panic herself. I'm sure we have Owww!"

"Time Mikey," Donatello commanded.

Michelangelo glanced at the watch. "That's two minutes forty five seconds from the last one guys. What does that mean?"

Raphael glared at Casey. "That means Casey better get the Marie to the hospital fast."

Casey, still groggy and annoyed at being woken up, snapped back at them. "My car is in the shop! What do you want me to do take her on the motorcycle?"

Leonardo bit back his own retort and went into command mode. "Casey ride to April's and get her car!"

"And hurry!" Marie added frantically. It was her tone that got Casey fully awake, and out the door.

"Raphael made it a point to look out of the window at the traffic below them. "Man, it's rush hour! What if Casey doesn't make it back in time?"

Donatello just looked at him. Then all three of them looked back.

"Oh no," Leonardo said.

"This isn't a job for us! We need a doctor! Or a cop or a boy scout!" Michelangelo said his voice rising in panic!"

Raphael shook his head no. "Mikey, we can't trust the cops no more! Remember that one that killed Tony saw us. Who knows what lies he's gonna tell the others about us."

"We can't call anyone!" Donatello reminded them. "Even if we did call the police we'd have to stay with Marie just in case. We'd run into somebody for sure! If it comes to that, We'd have to deliver the baby first, and then call the authorities!"

Raphael looked up at Donatello as if he had sprouted four heads. "Deliver the baby? You've gotta be kidding me!"

"We can't call anybody, and we can't leave her here in labor!" Donatello insisted. "We'll just have to hope Casey can get back in time. For now lets just get Marie onto the couch, and hope for the best."

As the minutes, and then hours, ticked by, Marie's contractions steadily increased, and there was no sign of April or Casey returning.

"Guys, whatever you decide to do you'd better hurry up!" Marie said. Her contractions were a minute apart now, and growing stronger.

"Yeah before she breaks my fingers," Michelangelo complained. It had been his job to hold Marie's hand during her contractions, and as her contractions strengthened so did her pressure on his hand.

Raphael and Donatello looked at Leonardo for advice, Leonardo looked back at Donatello.

"I'm not going to be able to do much with a sprained wrist," Donatello explained. "I can tell one of you what to do, but I can't do it myself."

"This is crazy!" Raphael said. He got on his shell cell and began to call April. "April? Did Casey find you? Well because Marie's up here with us at his place and– Yeah but April – April will you listen to me! Marie's in labor and we can't get her to the hospital Casey was supposed to get your car! Okay April but hurry!" Raphael hung up the shell cell muttering "That bone head no telling what happened to Casey. Donny didn't you give him a Shell Cell?"

"I did," Donatello said flatly. He had moved over to Marie and was checking her out. "He broke it."

"April said she'd be here in twenty minutes," Raphael said hoping that would make things better.

"I don't think we have twenty minutes!" Marie said.

Donatello nodded. "Me neither. He got down on his knees next to the couch. "Marie, lay down here on the floor, it will be easier this way. Leo give me a hand here!"

Leonardo moved over to help Donatello with Marie. Michelangelo backed up to the entrance to the kitchen. "Ummmm I'm gonna go boil water!"

"What for?" Raphael asked.

"Isn't that what they always do on TV shows when somebody's having a baby?" Michelangelo asked. Raphael looked out the window again. There was no sign of April's car or Casey on his motorcycle.

"Uh Raph? Could you come here a minute?" Donatello's unsteady voice drew Raphael's attention back into the room. He went next to the couch again where Marie now lay. Seated two feet away was Leonardo looking three shades lighter green than he should have.

"Leo?" Raphael asked concerned.

"He'll be alright in a minute," Donatello said sounding very amused. "Just come over here."

Raphael saw Donatello sitting right next to Marie. Her pants were off and the top of the maternity blouse was pulled up to her chest exposing her belly. Her underwear was off, and Raphael suddenly saw himself looking at something he never wanted to see. All at once he felt light headed and dizzy. The desire to run off and be nauseous somewhere was very tempting.

"Raph!" Donatello grabbed onto Raphael's arm with his good hand. "Raph don't think about what you're seeing! I can't deliver this baby with my wrist, and you can't leave me with only Mikey to help!"

If nothing else Donatello's vehemence penetrated the fog of nausea developing in Raphael's stomach. He swallowed twice and refocused his mind. He told himself not to think about what he was looking at, and to only think about Marie, and the baby that needed them. "I'm with you Donny," Raphael said

Donatello nodded satisfied. "Okay I think she's about seven centimeters dilated. That baby is in a hurry to get here." Over his shoulder Donatello called gently. "Leo?"

Still breathing heavily Leonardo's voice was deceptively calm. "I'm better, Don,"

"Then go get me some towels," Donatello said. To Raphael he said. "Raph go in the kitchen and wash with the hottest water you can.

Raphael nodded and ran into the kitchen. From the way Donatello was ordering everyone around he had a feeling that the baby was going to be here very soon. Michelangelo was in the kitchen, and grinned as he watched Raphael wash up to his elbows like a doctor on a TV show. "So you're gonna be playing catcher? Poor kid."

"You want the job Mikey?" Raphael snapped back. "You should be doing it, you've watched enough ER to qualify for a medical degree."

Michelangelo laughed and backed away. "No thanks, bro. In this case better you than me!"

"Mikey! Get back in here, and hold her hand!" Donatello shouted at the top of his lungs.

Both Michelangelo and Raphael blinked at that. Donatello wasn't known for shouting. "I hope," Michelangelo muttered, and ran back into the living room.

When Raphael came out of the kitchen Donatello had arranged several towels spread out for Marie to lie on. A pile of others were next to Donatello. He also had dental floss and a pair of scissors. Leonardo was at Marie's head with Michelangelo. "Marie," Leonardo said softly. "Our sensei has taught us to channel pain away from ourselves. I'm gonna try to help you make this easier."

"I want an epidural!" Marie snapped back.

"Sorry Marie, no can do," Michelangelo said. "This baby is coming out au natural!" When Marie growled at him, he laughed and said, "relax this channeling stuff really works. We all know it."

"Just do what we're telling you Marie," Leonardo said calmly. "We'll talk you through it."

As Leonardo began to whisper to Marie, Donatello waved Raphael over with his good hand. "Over here Raph."

"Man," Raphael said as he got on his knees next to Donatello. "Donny I...I can't do this."

"You have to Raph," Donatello insisted. "Leo's gonna be better at helping Marie channel her pain anyway. I'll be right here with you the whole time. Now go ahead and look."

There had been obvious changes down there since the last time he looked. A pale pink bubble was forming at the mouth of the vagina. "Donny? Is that supposed to be happening?" Raphael asked panicked.

"That's the baby's head," Donatello said calmly. Before Raphael could completely freak out he said. "Raph, it's okay. Don't think! Just do what I'm telling you!"

Raphael nodded and focused only on what was in front of him, and Donatello's instructions. He lost track of the minutes and hours. In the background he could hear Leonardo telling Marie to push. The pink bubble before him was slowly growing larger and larger, until suddenly in a flow of blood and fluids the baby's head popped out, and Raphael found himself not looking at a featureless bubble but a baby's face.

Somehow he managed to get his hand down there, and catch the head. Donatello's instructions were a dim hum in the back of his mind, but he did as he was told anyway. He managed to ease out one shoulder, and suddenly in both his hands he was holding a brand new human infant. Without even know why he was doing so he turned her over and patted on her back. Some fluid fell out of the baby's mouth, and a lusty indignant cry filled the room.

At that point Raphael's body went into automatic. He was simply awestruck. He was holding a brand new life in his hands. Ever so gently he eased her down onto a towel, and expertly tied off the umbilical chord. Donatello had to be telling him to do these things, but he didn't even hear the words, his whole mind was taken up by the sights and sounds of this new child. He cut the chord with the scissors, and instead of toweling her down he wrapped her snugly in a fresh towel. Then he sat there on his knees just looking at her in his arms, feeling a wonder he would never be able to explain to the others.

"Hey Raph!"

Raphael looked up confused at the voice. Casey and April were standing there smiling at him. He hadn't even heard them come in. Suddenly he realized that his muscles were tight and strained. He had no idea how long he had been kneeling down helping Marie. He looked at the clock. Hours had passed. He could hardly believe it.

"Don't you think you should let Marie hold her baby?" Casey asked trying not to laugh.

He must have looked very silly, but for some reason he didn't care. "Huh? Oh yeah, sorry." Raphael moved over to Marie who was smiling at him, and handed her the little blanketed bundle.

Marie managed to grab hold of his arm before he got up. "Thank you," she said.

Raphael still found he couldn't speak. He had never felt like this before in his life. He nodded to Marie then went into the kitchen to clean up. He didn't realize how long he was taking until Michelangelo came in. "Raph, you okay bro?"

"Huh? Oh yeah sure!" Raphael said. He tried to turn his full attention to Michelangelo.

"April called for an ambulance," Michelangelo said. "We've gotta hit the roof."

"Oh, okay be right there!" Raphael said.

Up on the rooftops the four watched as the ambulance took Marie away. Raphael leaned over to make sure that at least Marie saw him as the stretcher bore her and her daughter away.

Michelangelo snapped his fingers in front of Raphael's face getting a growl in return.

"That's better," Michelangelo teased. "You've been out of it, ever since we got up here,"

With a grin on his face Donatello said, "Don't listen to him, Raph, I understand." To the others he said, "you had to be on our end of the delivery."

Leonardo decided to change the subject. "So what do we do with the video tape? I don't want Casey taking it in, but we have to get that cop off the streets."

"I know who can help us," Raphael said. He was going to tell them this before Marie had gone into labor. "The Left Heal."

Leonardo's eyes widened. "You know members of the Left Heal?"

"Who's The Left Heal?" Michelangelo asked.

Leonardo explained. "I've only heard rumors, but since the Shredder tried to steal the antigrav generator from Beijing there seems to be a small fraction of the regular Foot that have been questioning the Shredder's intentions. Remember how he tried to suck me in with all those lies about fighting evil? I guess I wasn't the only one he's pulled that with, but trying to cause the death of everyone in Beijing has opened their eyes to what the Shredder is really like."

"But a lot of these guys are scared." Raphael took up the tale. "The Shredder knows everything about them, where they live, and if they have families. They won't disobey the Shredder either. He doesn't like it when people fail him. I ran into one of them once in an alley, and we were all alone. He told me he'd rather me kill him than have to go back to the Shredder."

"They're afraid, but lately they've been organizing. They're not directly opposing the Shredder yet, but they're looking for opportunities to stop some of his less honorable plans, and for a way to escape the Foot all together." Leonardo's voice was a little shaky. He was still brooding over how he almost fell into the same trap that these other poor people were in.

"I've heard more than rumors Leo," Raphael said. "I've over heard a couple of conversations to make me think The Heal really exists. Kauri knows about them too, but she aint doing nothing about it. I saw her talking to one of them once, and I managed to tail him back to his apartment. Using him, I've I D'd three other members of the Left Heal."

"The Left Heal believes in honor first.," Leonardo told them. "They still don't' like us, but they may do this because it will actually help the Foot in general but not hurt anyone. The question is are one of those guys going to help us?"

Raphael took the tape from Michelangelo. "Leave it to me, Leo. I know just the guy."

Sam placed his son down in the crib and smiled as he watched his son sleep. He was so glad he had gotten away from his stressful job and was able to spend some time with his wife and son. He wished his could quit, but now wasn't the right time.

He was about to go out when he heard a noise on the fire escape. He opened the window to find a note pinned to the side of his house with a shurikin.

_Oh no oh no oh no! This can't be a summons!_ He thought as he pulled the star out of the wall, and brought it and the paper inside. _Who else could it be from? Are there other ninja in New York or maybe possibly_ As he read he suddenly realized. _Oh man! It's THEM!_

_We know who you are. We know you have a wife and a baby. We also know that you're in the Left Heal. We need to talk to you right now about a mission of true honor. There is a bodega on the corner of first and twelfth street. Be in the alley behind it in thirty minutes. _

_Don't come armed. Don't wear your uniform, and DON"T tell your boss._

On the paper was the mark of the Left Heal. The Foot Symbol on one side but a Tao on the other. There was another seal on the paper that made Sam tear the entire thing into little bits and burn the pieces. There was no way he could be seen with that symbol on his person. He didn't seem to have any choice in the matter.

A half hour later he was in the alley wondering if they were actually going to appear here. He hid in the shadow of the awning as he was taught, but he still felt as if he were going to have to fight for his life.

"We're not here to fight."

The cool even tempered voice startled him. They were good! Better than he thought. Somehow as alert as he was they still managed to creep up on him. He looked around and saw nobody.

"What do you want from me?" He whispered into the darkness.

"We hear that the Left Heal believes in honor," A second harsher grated voice said. He knew the owner of that voice and he now knew that he was right. It was them, but he didn't understand why they were talking to him."

"Yes," he said.

"That the Left Heal follows the code of Bushido. That they abhor any without honor." The calmer voice said in the darkness.

"Yes,"

The harsher voice continued. "And those who betray their own, and make widows and orphans have no honor and deserved to be brought to justice!"

"Y...yes?" They knew about his family? Were they going to kill him? What did they want from him?

Something clattered to the floor in front of him. It was a VHS video tape.

The calm voice was back. "On this tape is the killer of Lieutenant Anthony Santino talking about his murder. We don't care how, but it needs to get into the District Attorney's hands."

Slowly Sam reached down and picked up the tape. "Why me?" He asked.

"Because the Left Heal might not like us, but they wish to live with honor," The calm voice said.

"You have a wife and kid, Lieutenant Santino's wife just had his baby." The harsher voice said. "A baby that's going to grow up without her father. How would you feel?"

They were right. He had to find out a way to do this.

"And here's another reason," the calm voice said. "This individual has been taking kickbacks from the Purple Dragons. He's a leach to your boss. And he's trying to frame the Dragons for the murder."

"Not that we care about your boss or The Dragons." the harsher voice added. "We just want to see this guys butt in jail."

"If you truly follow Bushido, If you truly wish to live with honor you'll find a way." The calm voice said. Then they were gone. Sam could no longer feel their presence in the alley.

He looked at the video tape, and sighed. "They're right of course. He would have to find a way.

Leonardo and Raphael tailed the guy not back to his apartment, but to a warehouse on the west side. "That's a Foot hideout," Leonardo said.

"What do you think he's gonna do? Tell the Shredder?" Raphael asked.

"He'll probably go to Kurai first," Leonardo answered. "He'll probably let her deal with it." Leonardo let out a huge breath. "We can't do anything more about it. We'll wait a few days and if the DA doesn't get the tape we'll try one of those other guys. "

"Oh he'll do it," Raphael said with a small grin. "I know he will. Hey that guy will probably be arrested by the time Marie and Michelle get out of the hospital! Won't that be a great baby present!"

Leonardo couldn't help it he laughed at Raphael. "Mikey's right, any time you mention Marie or the baby you're giddy. Anyone would think she was yours!"

Raphael couldn't help it either. Just thinking about Marie's baby Michelle made him happy. "Heh Casey is going to have to arm wrestle me for godfather status!" Raphael insisted. "He got stuck in traffic while I got to hold her first! Hey! How about we go and peek into her window at the hospital!"

"No! Leonardo said laughing. "Raph, Marie will be out of the hospital in a few days. We'll see her and the baby then. What has been with you lately?"

Still grinning Raphael said, "I don't know. Ever since I helped deliver Michelle, It's like my whole life has changed."

"That's a little deep isn't it?" Leonardo asked. "I mean for you."

"Can't help it, Leo," Raphael said. "There's something about holding a baby that's only seconds old that makes you think. Come on! I'll race you home!" Without waiting for an answer he began to race along the roof.

"You're on!" Leonardo said. "He wasn't sure what was going on with Raphael right now, but it seemed to be a good thing. Every time he asked Donatello about it Don would just grin and tell him not to worry. Michelangelo said that Raphael should deliver babies more often. He asked Splinter once and Splinter smiled as well. He said that if delivering a baby has changed Raphael it could only be for the better.

Leonardo decided that Master Splinter was right. It seemed to be all for the better. Raphael was calmer, and more relaxed now, he was more thoughtful, and smiled more often. He was still bad tempered and argumentative, but not as much as he had been.

Leonardo noticed that Raphael was getting way ahead of him. He put his worry for his brother out of his mind and raced along the rooftops into the active night.


End file.
